May a hotel make a copy of my passport or ID?

What must a hotel do? The Dutch Immigration Act (Vw) Art. 4:1 + general administrative law require hotels to keep a register at check-in with: name, date of birth, nationality, type + number of travel document. Foreign guests — extended registration. May the hotel view the ID? Yes — to copy the details correctly. May the hotel make a COPY? Almost never. A receptionist noting the details suffices; a copy is processing of personal data (incl. photo = biometric + BSN = restricted number) — extra legal basis required. Invalid grounds for copy: "for safety", "required by our system", "for invoicing on non-payment". Valid: under Dutch AML (Wwft) for very specific commercial situations. What to do if they insist on a copy? Ask in writing for the legal basis. No solid answer? Refuse and offer ID for viewing only. If they insist: use the KopieID app from the Dutch government to redact BSN + passport-photo serial number. AP fine for unlawful BSN processing: up to €820,000. Check-in in 2026: increasingly hotels accept digital ID via apps (Reisnota, Belge ID) — then the hotel shares only the legally required fields, no full scan.